An innovation platform is a space for learning and change. It is a group of individuals (who often represent organizations) with different backgrounds and interests: farmers, traders, food processors, researchers, government officials etc. The members come together to diagnose problems, identify opportunities and find ways to achieve their goals. They may design and implement activities as a platform, or coordinate activities by individual members. This brief explains what innovation platforms are and how they work, and it describes some of their advantages and limitations.

Innovation platforms can be complex and challenging so effective monitoring is critical to ensure that they function effectively and achieve their intended purposes. A monitoring system is a collection of methods and tools to track and measure innovation activities, processes among partners, and the results of these processes. This brief describes what a monitoring system does, who is involved, how it works, and what to do with the findings. It is available in Chinese, English, Hindi, Thai and Vietnamese.

The markets and value chains approach has recently become fashionable in agricultural development interventions. So too have innovation platforms. This brief shows how innovation platforms can be a useful vehicle to promote market development. It is available in Chinese, English, Hindi, Thai and Vietnamese.

One of the most important things that innovation platforms do is to build the capacity of their members to innovate. Some key elements of innovation capacity include: self-organization, learning new skills, changing mindsets, valuing others’ roles in innovation, having a holistic view, being able to adapt to changing situations, creating new ideas, recognizing opportunities, being proactive, using indigenous ideas, and looking to the future. This brief uses the analogy of a traditional African cooking pot to explain how innovation capacity is developed within an innovation platform.

The term 'Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D),' first coined in 2003, acknowledges the complexity of the agricultural system and the need to bring together not only different related research disciplines but also multiple actors (private sector, public sector, producer organisation and policymakers) to find joint solutions to the challenges of agricultural innovation. The book is produced in response traces the evolution of the concept back to its roots in an impressive range of theories and approaches from diverse disciplines, such as constructivism, participatory acti

This brief describe the impact and success stories of the project: Enhancing Smallholder Wheat Productivity through Sustainable Intensification in Wheat-Based Farming Systems of Rwanda and Zambia (SWPSI). This project aims to beneficiate and bring innovations to Smallholder farmers producing wheat and those with the potential to produce wheat under rainfed conditions; local traders, processors and consumers

This brief describes the activities carried out by the International Fund for Agricultural Development  in order to erradicate poverty in Cambodia. Describes the projects that aims to enhance the agricultural innovation in the country and the IFAD's strategy for reaching this goal

This brief describes the activities carried out by the International Fund for Agricultural Development  in order to erradicate poverty in Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Describes the projects that aims to enhance the food security and nutrition in the country and the IFAD's strategy for reaching this goal

This report is based on substantive evidence and attempts to provide the kind of analysis that can inform policies, programmes and investments to promote a rural transformation that is inclusive of youth. It examines who rural youth are, where they live, and the multiple constraints they face in their journey from dependence to independence. A distinguishing feature of this report is that it examines rural development in the context of the transformation of rural areas and the wider economy. Opportunities for young women and men begin with a transformation towards a dynamic rural economy.

This brief describes the activities carried out by the International Fund for Agricultural Development  in order to erradicate poverty in The Gambia. Describes the projects that aims to enhance the agricultural innovation in the country and the IFAD's strategy for reaching this goal